Encyclopedia

DRIVERS: ANTONIO BRANCA

Swiss amateur who, legend has it, has his motor racing financed by an admiring Belgian countess. He made his Formula 1 debut in 1950 at the wheel of a Scuderia Achille Varzi Maserati at the Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten in 1950 and raced again at the non-championship GP des Nations in Geneva. That year he also raced in an F2 Simca-Gordini and led the race in Geneva. His only major finish was fourth at Aix-les-Bains. He raced again in the Belgian GP and the following year reappeared in a privately-run Maserati at the German GP. He was sixth in the non-championship Pescara GP but had little success in F2 and he disappeared from racing at the end of the 1951 season.